VSG Leak

I'm writing to you as I'm researching options for my husband.  He had a VSG in Mexico on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, flew home to Georgia 3 days later, and had emergency surgery on Tuesday, Oct. 29th to deal with a leak.  

He spent 35 days in the hospital, had 3 stents placed that all migrated within 24 hours, and has a j-tube and a drain.  He has been admitted 3 more times since then.  

The most recent procedure was done on Jan. 23, 2014 by a bariatric gastroenterologist at Emory and he placed a "bear claw" on the hole to help it heal. A CT done two weeks later revealed that the leak was much worse.  

The same MD went back in yesterday to make adjustments, suture, and/or glue to close up the opening, but he reported that the surrounding tissue is too sick/weak and the hole will not heal on its own.  

He wants to refer us immediately to a surgeon for transition to a roux-en-y or complete removal of the stomach.  I am extremely hesitant for my husband to take that extreme step yet, and I'm encouraged by the posts stating that most leaks can heal over time.  

We are looking for any thoughts, feedback, experience and recommendations that could help him avoid losing his stomach.

Thanks!

I'm not sure what brought me to this forum topic site, but I feel the need to comment on your post. I haven't had any complications at all from my sleeve surgery. My mom had RNY surgery in 2004. About 4 months later she was having problems so had some tests done. (They said it was damaged from her diabetes, not the RNY surgery.) She ended up having "Gastroperesis", which means her stomach muscle stopped working. She was admitted to one of the Mayo hospitals and once she got her strength up and was well enough the same surgeon that did her bypass ended up doing a near complete gastroectomy. She was malnourished so they put a PIC line in and fed her through that for a couple of weeks. I expected her to get super skinny and malnurished looking from this procedure, but the lowest she got on the scales was 155 pounds. She's 5'4" so that wasn't super skinny and actually kept her in the overweight category on the BMI charts. She has had some regain since then, but is still down around 140 pounds from before her initial surgery.

I'm telling you all this because the worst thing would not be to have his stomach removed or to revise his sleeve. The worst thing would be for his stomach not to heal. I hope you and your husband are able to get him back on the mend and that he doesn't require further surgery. 4 months is a long time to be dealing with a leak.

Pls help me!I am a mother of a healthy 26 daughter had sleeve surgery in mty, mexico, two days later they founa leak that was immediately fixed, three weeks ok, then difficulty breating, pain onher left side, came to emergency and they found two leaks, at Northwestern hospital in chicago, stent causes lit of vomiting saliva spasm and hiccups, almost a week later doctors said leak found its way around stent, this is what an upper gi showed, what follows?rinsert feeding tube in lower intestines, let leak heal on its own, but with or without stent?since stent causes so much didtress?pls if anyone has gone thru this, let me know, what to do, have no more tears and terrified

Hello I am new at this forum and been reading all about vsg leaks, My wife and I had surgery in Guadalajara Mex, apr 18 my wife went to the hospital 6 days after surgery, with a leak, ive seen many post of people with leaks but looks like they never follow on the posts, I would like to know what happen how did it eneded pls reply, My wife came out of hospital 3 weeks ago and today we just hot out of drs office looks like she still leakin the drainage bag show so, and need a new ct scan in 3 days Idk what alse to do, he said he want the leak to heak on his own but its been over 2 months and if that leaj stills there idk what we gonna do pls, I would like to know how everything eneded hopefully it was good tha ks.